Reassurance
by DEDEBUG9
Summary: Hermione needs to know whether the kiss meant anything, or if it was just a spur of the moment. She shouldn't need Ron's reassurance, but she does. She needs it like Dudley Dursley needs his third helping of sausages..


**Yes, yes! I know this is a completely overdone fanfiction! But, to be honest, I don't really care. I tried to make mine as original as possible.. Ok..**

She awoke with a shock of panic. She opened her eyes and took a shaky breath. She was awake, she was okay, it was just a war might have been over, but that didn't mean the nightmares wouldn't stop coming to Hermione everytime she closed her eyes.

She lied back down and tried to focus on anything but what had happened in the past months. Her attempts were useless, so she tried to focus on Ginny's steady breathing. That was, until the snores started coming.

Hermione sighed in exasperation and got out of the bed. It made a squeaking noise, but Ginny Weasley slept like a rock. Just like her brother.. She thought to herself. Ron.. she smiled at the thought of him. She couldn't quite wrap her brain around the fact that she'd kissed him.

She closed the door behind her. What she needed was to walk around, maybe get some air. Which sounded crazy for a girl who hadn't slept at all the past 3 days. 3 days ago had she really broke into Gringotts, flew on the back of a dragon, fought in a war, and… kissed Ron Weasley? It would have seemed impossible 3 years ago, probably even 3 days ago.

She tiptoed down the creaky stairs of the Burrow, trying not to wake anyone. As she got lower and lower, she could have sworn she smelled.. Burning bacon? Sure enough, there was a ginger haired boy cooking bacon at 3 in the morning. Not to mention, he wasn't even using magic. So typical of Ron to be making bacon this time of night..

She wrapped her navy blue robe tightly around her. Things between the two of them would never be the same. They'd been attached to the hip after their kiss, glad that the other was alive, but in the heat of it all, they'd never acknowledged it.

"Morning." She said quietly, making Ron Weasley jump at least 5 inches into the air.

"Blimey, Hermione! You can't just sneak up on someone like that!" He exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes and got closer to him. The bacon was making an awful sizzling sound. "I think you're burning your bacon." He quickly turned around and started fiddling with the oven.

She smiled and turned it off for him, their fingers brushing. They backed away at the slight touch. "Thanks." He mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"First off, you don't cook bacon with that." She said, pointing to the spoon-like utensil in Ron's hand. "That's a ladle." She couldn't help but smirk at his oblivian to muggle cooking techniques.

"Leave it to Hermione to know exactly how to cook the bloody bacon." She observed how Ron's ears turned the same shade as his hair when he always got embarrassed.

She handed him the right tool. "Well, it's not that hard, really."

"Easy for you to say." He said with a chuckle.

For a moment there was an awkward silence. was now the appropriate time to bring up the snog? It'd been impulsive and brave, thinking that it was now or never. she had known that night that there was no way she'd live and not kiss Ron Weasley. Did it really mean anything at all? A wave of uncertainty rushed through her.

She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut.

"You know, it's funny to think about how we first met." Ron said. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking down at his sneakers. Why was he wearing sneakers at 3 am? now there was a question. She would have scolded him about it, if it hadn't have been for the topic he'd just brought up.

She grinned. "Ugh, yes. You had your dumb rat and I was looking for Neville's toad-" She broke out into a laugh and he joined in. She'd always loved the sound of their combined laughs..

"And you performed that ridiculous spell on Scabbers!" She added. she remembered how she'd thought Ron was such an idiot, with that made up spell and the candy piled around him. Weird to think they'd be best friends someday.. Also, sort of more.

"Yeah, well I couldn't do it right because you were watching." He quipped. He poked at the black bacon with a smile. "God, I hated you back then."

"Thanks, Ronald.."

"I mean, I ended up sort of liking you so it's all good right?" He knit his eyebrows together.

She played back, "Sort of? We-" She was about to say kiss.. But held the word on her tongue. She couldn't bring it up now..

They reminisced about their early years at Hogwarts, and danced around the subject of the kiss a few times. When it couldn't go on anymore, Ron finally said, "I've been thinking, Hermione.."

she could feel it in her gut that he was going to bring up their kiss. what if he said he'd never meant it? Why did she still feel so much doubt!? He had to love her!

"Yes?" she squeaked.

He looked her in the eyes, which he hadn't done since the Battle. "I wish I would have kissed you sooner. I'm glad we kissed, but-"

She cut him off with a tight hug. She needed him to tell her that, to reassure her. For months she'd lived with the doubt that he didn't have feelings for her.

"You're bloody brilliant, Hermione." He whispered and she felt herself smile. They looked each other in the eyes. Funny, how things can change in seven years. You can go from despising someone to, well, loving them.

Hermione couldn't tell who kissed who, where as in the first one, it was clearly Hermione. It just sort of happened together. This kiss was different from the first. It didn't have the same adrenaline rush, but it had the same needy feeling. She needed him, and he needed her.

Her heart beat so much faster than normal (which is 72 beats per minute) That she felt it would beat out of her chest. They pulled away and just grinned at each other.

There was no one else Hermione Granger would rather sit on the kitchen floor at 3 AM and eat burnt bacon with.. All was well.

**Thanks for reading. I love you.**

**Reviews are cool..**


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